Sports News
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MARINES RUN THE 2009 PHILADELPHIA DISTANCE RUN
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Philadelphia, Pa, September 20, 2009 -- The All Marine Running Team joined a field of approximately 13,000 like-minded runners for the running of the Philadelphia Distance Run last Sunday here. From the start of the race the route follows wide and scenic boulevards lined with historical sites, such as: Independence Hall, the "Liberty Bell," and the house where Thomas Jefferson authored the Declaration of Independence. The historical sites of the city are intermingled with modern sky-scrapers of glass and steel that stand in stark contrast with the colonial construction of our nation's first capitol and belie a recent city revival. The city has long been a center for financial, medical and insurance industries. The crowning sky-scraper is the Comcast tower, and the city's ballpark is called the Lincoln Financial Center. The Distance Run is sponsored by ING, inc., a financial services firm with headquarters in Philadelphia. Philadelphia is a big city, among the top ten of the nation, and a city where sports has a huge fan base and running is big. It is also a Navy and Marine Town, home of the Tun Tavern, where the Marines were founded, and the Philadelphia Navy Yard, once the pride of naval basing on the East Coast. The All Marine runners started the day with a light jog to the starting line, running together as a team, to shake off the previous night's sleep, stretch their muscles and warm up in the brisk north east morning air. The runners at the race were then organized into corrals of approximately 1000 runners each. This is done so the fastest runners are at the front of the line and to minimize congestion along the race. The Marine runners were entered into the first two corrals at the front of the pack and were shoulder-to-shoulder with other world elite runners - the professionals and time-breakers you see on the cover of "Runner's World," "Running" and other magazines. You could cut the tension in the cool air with a knife. The anticipation of the race was visible in the face of each runner, as each of them went through their physical and mental routine. Following the introductions by the race announcer, and brief comments by the race organizer and race sponsors, a Sylvester Stallone impersonator made the final count-down and cheered the runners off into the race with his impersonation of the famous heavily-accented Philadelphian character of Italian descent from the movie "Rocky": The Italian Stallion Rocky Balboa - "yo Adrian,""D'oos like Mickey said," and "Yoos can do it." With the sound of a buzzer the runners were off. First to go were the international competitors vying for the record, followed closely by our Marines. Within the first hundred yards the various runners intermixed and interspersed as each found his pace and his place in the melee. After a few moments and a few yards the race self-organized into a lead group and a couple of chaser groups, followed by the main body - a mass of moving, breathing, sweating flesh that stretched over two miles. The dedication and commitment displayed by the Marines to be on the team and to compete is nothing short of impressive. This includes long overnight trips that disrupt training and are hard on the body, as well as the sacrifice of time away from friends and family who many times cannot come along to the race because of the cost of travel or lodging. Hot on the heals of the chasers were LtCol Blackwell and SSgt. Hubbard of Quantico. Like Hubbard and Blackwell, several Marines were paired off to help pace and encourage each other, such as: Peterson and Mullins, Macander and Carr, and later Hubbard teamed up with VanVianen for the back end of the race. The first woman Marine across the four mile mark was 2ndLt Kyleigh Millhouse, the newest member of the team. Millhouse is stationed at Pensacola, Fla., and is awaiting the start of flight training to earn her wings as a naval aviator. Millhouse was followed closely and soon overtaken by Capt. Macander and Capt. Carr, two veterans and anchors of the team. Macander and Carr were looking confident and strong at the four mile mark. This is Macander's sixth half-marathon. She has also completed seven full marathons. Carr has completed six half-marathons and two full marathons. The average for Marines on the All Marine running team is about five half marathons and five full marathons. Rounding out the team for the Marines was Maj. Kristin McCann who by the end of the race had pulled up to the front of the women's group, dug deep into the men's group and finished with an outstanding time. The first Marine across the finish line was Lt Adam Crandall,13.1 miles later and at least 15 degrees Fahrenheit warmer in the day. He came across the line looking strong and ready for more. The first woman Marine across the finish line was Capt. Maureen Carr, who steadily moved up the field of runners throughout the race. "I thought that all of the Marines did a great job today. Before, during and after the race, you would constantly hear 'Go, Marines!,'" said Peterson of the crowd lining the race course. Five men had finish times under 1:15 min. All of the Marines on the team finished in the top 100 out of over 12,000 runners. Two women had finish times under 1:30 and both of them were in the top 100 for the women's category. "Based on today's results, I feel that we are on track to defeat the Royal Navy/Marines in our annual "Challenge Cup" at this year's Marine Corps Marathon," said Peterson. Official chip results and overall placing: Adam Crandall - 1:11:55 - 57 *The males chip times were 3-4 secs faster than clock time. Maureen Carr - 1:27:50, 1:28:52 - 455
The All Marine team is coached by Joe Puleo of Cadence Cycling & Multisport. Cadence is the training partner for the All Marine running, swimming and triathlon programs. In addition to serving as head coach for the Marines, Joe Puleo is also the head coach for men and women's Cross Country and Track & Field Teams at Rutgers-Camden. Puleo has coached three world championship teams for the US. Armed Forces at the Conseil International du Sport Militaire (CISM), to include two marathons and one cross-country team. He recently coached the women on the U.S. Armed Forces team to victory at the 2009 international military marathon in Belgrade, Serbia. Recruiting for the All Marine running program is ongoing. The All Marine running program is managed by the USMC Sports & Athletics Office at Quantico, Va. Marines interested in applying for the team are asked to contact the Marine Sports Office at: (703)784-9542. |
The Philadelphia Distance Run is a half-marathon, or 13.1 miles, that runs along the center of the city, out the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, through the picturesque Fairmont Park and returns along the Schuylkill River for the finish. The race starts and ends at Eakins Oval, just across from the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the steps now made famous by the movie "Rocky," starring Sylvester Stallone.
The Philadelphia Distance Run has a flat course that attracts elite competitors vying to break the U.S. and world speed records for the half-marathon distance. The race hosts elite runners with Olympic and world championship pedigree, such as: Ryan Hall of Mammoth Lakes, Constantina Dita of Romania and Katherine Ndereba of Kenya. Hall, who holds the U.S. half marathon record at 59 mins 43 sec., is an Olympian and the only American to break one hour in the half marathon. This year Ryan Hall won the race.
The Philadelphia Distance Run is also the final preparation race for the All Marine running team before the Marine Corps Marathon. The All Marine team is made up of the Marine Corps' most elite runners. They include: LtCol. Steven Peterson of Kalispell Montana; LtCol. Jeff Blackwell of Quantico, VA; SSgt. Tyler Hubbard of Quantico, VA; 1stLt Adam Crandall of Fulton, NY; Capt. Michelle Macander of Clifton Park, NY; Capt. Maureen Carr of Fair Haven, MD; Sgt. Ryan Ellis of Redmond, WA; Maj. Kristin McCann of Alexandria, VA; Capt. Richard A. Jennings of Pearisburg, VA; CWO2 Marlin Mullins of Jackson, KY; Sgt. Billy J. Van Vianen of Sterling Heights, MI and 2ndLt. Kyleigh Millhouse of Harrisburg, PA.
First for the Marines was Lt Adam Crandall. He crossed the four mile mark looking strong and battling in the middle of chase group two. Crandall was followed by Capt. Rick Jennings, an Aide-de-Camp at Logistics Command, Albany, Ga. and Sgt. Ryan Elllis. Ellis had travelled to participate in the race from MCAS Miramar. Now he and Jennings found themselves chaser group two, and 30 yards behind the lead Marine, neck and neck with competitors from around the country. Ellis was followed at a car's length by Sgt. Billy VanVianen of Camp Lejeune, NC, who also made the nine-hour drive from the South to be at the race.